I’m an acoustic consultant and this simple video actually did a good job of explaining things. A common problem is that people underestimate the impact gaps have on sound insulation. A well insulated wall with a small area of poor or zero insulation will have a large impact. If it was an ok wall, percentage wise the same issue wouldn’t have as much of an impact. So the more effort you put into stopping the sound transfer, the more effort you should put into filling the air gaps whilst considering the decoupling you mentioned. Contractors often are obsessed with extra screws and nails for strength but for sound insulation you really don’t want to do that. Last tip, consider the whole space. It’s no good creating a perfectly insulated wall next to the noisy room if the sound energy is going to go over it and through your terrible ceiling. Love your stuff (from the uk🇬🇧)
@@BrianMDPhD acoustically if it’s just tape I would expect sealant to do a better job as tape is lightweight and thin unless you’re putting material (plaster, mud, filler) on the joints as well then I don’t think there would be much in it. If you’re offsetting the joints and filling the gap I wouldn’t expect it to make a huge difference either way as you’ve done the work with the offset and filling. It would need to be tested to be sure so if a manufacturer says do it this way chances are they’ve already tested it and they’re saying that for a reason. Construction wise though on which is best I can’t comment. Usually there’s a compromise where it’s good enough and you’re considering cost or speed instead.
I second this review. Also an acoustical consultant for 10 years and now work for a vibration isolation manufacturer. I appreciate when someone from the construction side of the industry spends the time to get it right. Seal those holes people! A visual metaphor: It doesn’t matter how great the walls of your bucket are, if you have holes in the bottom, it’s still going to leak!
It's basically the same principle with thermal insulation. Even if you put R50 insulation (imperial R, not metric) on 90% of a wall, putting R5 insulation over the remaining 10% will significantly drag down the overall R-value of the entire wall. Both heat and sound energy will find the path of least resistance.
I worked a job once for a rich crazy dude who insisted on 2 layers of 5/8” _over_ a layer of 3/4” ply and the void between studs stuffed with fiberglass insulation in every single wall of his massive condo, including interior walls, both sides. The place was as quiet as a crypt! He never explained why it was so important to him, but our speculations were hysterical!
I'm a retired Federal Agent and when my office moved to a new location, I was given the task of specking out of different issues relative to law enforcement. One of them being sound proofing the new offices and the two interview rooms were included in new build-out. The first thing I learned is just what you mentioned, gaps between wallboard. At the time it was counterintuitive but once it was explained to me and I did my research, I knew what had to happen in the design and buildout. It was an interesting process and fortunately it all worked out. Indoor shooting ranges have gone through many developments and evolutions and now, rather than having to shoot our weapons outside to qualify, Federal buildings that are built for law enforcement have indoor shooting ranges generally in the basement and with soundproofing technology we, or they my former colleagues, don't have to shoot outside either in the hot summer or the cold winters of New England. And unless you are told, you would not know weapons are being fired in the basement of Federal buildings. Finally, I really enjoy and appreciate your videos. As a 70 Y/O DYI'r I am still building things and making a lot of sawdust in the process. My current project is finishing off the area, which is good size, under the stairs to my basement. I am running Romex for lighting, finishing the walls with leftover 1x6 T&G pine. I needed to hire a carpenter to build heavy duty pullout shelving. That's way over my head. Again, thank you for your videos. DP
Thanks Ethan I appreciate the great video. Is there a way that we could kind of do a deeper dive on how to soundproof a room that already has drywall and paint and your typical structure already built?
Me put mineral wool insulation in the interior walls of our house when we were renovating. Unbelievable how quiet the place is, and how little noise is transmitted from one room to the others. Great channel!
Nate, that was cool stuff. It is amazing to me how Newtonian Physics has such practical applications. Conservation of energy really does work in real life! Keep up the great videos.
Double drywall and resilient channel can really help, Lee! They also make a foam tape that goes over joists to ease squeaking. But I’ve heard that traversing vent work can still cause a lot of sound transfer 😬
Please be careful when using unprotected combustible sound proofing such as foam or moving blankets. In 2003, the Station night club fire was started by the band's pyrotechnics causing the acoustic foam to catch fire, killing 100 and injuring 230. If you ever have sparks from grinding or welding in your shop, don't use it. Find a non combustible such as the fiberglass batting.
That’s hardly a fair comparison. The main reason that fire was so devastating was because of the single small egress of the facility, doors chained shut, and a lack of a fire suppression system. If all of those weren’t problems, even all the burning foam inside would have been no issue other than some smoke inhalation. It’s part of the reason it is said that common law is written in blood.
@@BrianMDPhD Are you a fireman? We made our training fires with one foam mattress and it would blacken an entire 2 story burn building to zero visibility with black smoke. The 3 of fatalities that I have responded to as a firefighter in my career was caused by smoke inhalation and it was from what we call light or almost no smoke, but the smoke killed them anyway. It is what is in the smoke that kills you as well as the lack of oxygen.
Been watching soundproofing videos for almost a decade now. This is probably the most concise and efficient explanation of the basics of soundproofing. There are other more detailed and complete explanations but as a primer this is well done.
Very helpful tip that I am planning on using soon. My wall inside of a this room is very thin. That I can hear all kind of stuff that is going on outside. Have noisy neighbors that I don't care to hear all their ruckus. This way now I have idea how to fix the problem with this solution. Thanks Ethan. 🙂👍
There are now products that can be installed behind the drywall that are very good at sound-proofing. They are less expensive than using a 2nd sheet of drywall. A contractor named Jeff Thorman has videos on these products. He’s Canadian. Not sure if these products are available in the US.
1. The fact that this remedy works tells me it's the wood, not the air, that transmits the sound. Not mentioned is that surfaces reflect sound, so those work too. Go down to your local lake on a quiet morning and admire the reflections. Later, when the wind gets up, the surface roughens up and the reflections are blown to pieces. Your wall surfaces are similar. In the 1950s, when I was a small child, our internal walls were covered in asbestos sheeting. One side was dimpled, like the surface of a golf ball. This served to disperse sounds, a little like modern acoustic tiles. 2. Dense, heavy materials such as steel, brass, china, even water, transmit sounds really well. Have you eve tested a cup for cracks by tapping it with a spoon, or heard the chime and resonance of a bell? I think that your extra panels are working because the surfaces aren't very flat, and because they disperse sounds by irregular reflections. Unlike the hard materials I mentioned above, your sealants are and remain pliant. Not good sound conductors. And, of course, filling holes with it is good. So too would be "gluing" sheets together with it at the edges. 3. I think those materials work mostly by dispersing the soundwaves, similar to the dimpled surfaces on our asbestos. Converting sound to heat comes as no surprise at all to me. When I was in high school, kids destined for trades left school after three years of high school and took up apprenticeships. The rest of us completed high school and largely qualified to study further at university. Typically, we got a firmer grip on maths beyond arithmetic, algebra and geometry, studied higher levels of science, geography, in my case French. For me, science was physics and chemistry, and a large part of physics is conversion between different kinds of energy.
I just build a work bench in my garage. Cinder block walk with my wife's office on the other side. I built walls on both sides and used R-1 foam board to decouple the studs from the conderblock wall. Then stuffed it with insulation. I worked really quite well.
@@TheHonestCarpenter my cheapest approach for a sound wall was 5/8 blue or green board both sides ,because it denser ,sealant on all the studs and any openings and rockwool and install it tight. Not sound proof but for a few extra bucks it stops a lot of noise. Great video. Many times the simplest things can still give a big impact.
There are also acoustic coatings that help to deaden sound. Years ago tugboat crew complaints of engine noise in their cabins led to a search for a viable solution. The tug was already in operation, so there was insufficient room for insulation, steel decks and doors didn't help. The ultimate solution was sound insulating coatings. At the time the work was done there was a limited number of choices. We used, as I recall, a rubberized coating that went on about 1/4" thick. The coating was quite effective. The only problem was it came in one color, black. It took several coats of paint to cover the black. Bob Bob
HMMM, I wonder if I added padding then plywood to my ceiling and floor of my main area in my 1960's 1 bed apartment if it would drown out the upstairs and downstairs neighbors TV's? but I do not have that kind of $$. And I think I may just want a new address sometime soon.....
So one of the reasons the lower frequencies tend to penetrate through even a gap has to do with the wave length. Adding the multiple layers of air gap and dense materials causes additional defusing and scattering of the noise as it try’s to transfer from one medium to another causing it to weaken in a much shorter distance. Different materials have different cut off frequencies so noise emanating at a frequency lower than the cut off will pass through, but changing the medium of energy transfer causes sound to travel in less of a straight line.
A couple of things I hate that marketing of green glue turning sound into heat that is just how thermodynamics works, what they should say is it does a better job at doing it then most. 2. they say to use 2 tube per sheet of dry wall for a STS of 14 I think but also remember sound is a LOG and just half a tube per sheet will still net you close to 7 STS, so for 25% of the cost of materials you can get about 50% effectiveness.
I really need to replace the siding on our house. When I do, I'm considering some sort of noise dampening behind the stucco I wanna use for siding. Right now we have that crappy pressboard siding, which we all know is the worst type there is (especially in Alabama). I'm considering plywood over the entire outside, then foam, then more plywood, and finally the stucco. Does that sound like a good plan? With the price of plywood right now I think it'll be a while before I get it done.
Definitely helpful. I've heard most of these concepts and methods discussed in past, but certainly not so efficiently condensed into 5 min ; ) As always, you and other YTers who make this content are providing an incredible service to the world. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. I know I appreciate all the things I've learned. (And potential mistakes avoided!) Keep it up!
Actually, quick question: when adding the second (staggered) sheet of drywall WITH the green glue bead in btwn, are you trying to not put to much pressure on it as you set it in place? As in, are you trying to not flatten the interior bead? Have you ever tried this? Does it make it difficult to get adjacent sheets to edge align or keep wall flat across side to side? Also, is that second sheet still getting drywall screws or does the green glue act as adhesive? (Just seems like you'd need some pretty long drywall screws to go through both sheets and space btwn and still sink into studs) Sry lol, that was a pretty involved question : /
Thank you lovey, i wonder if that product would work on a brick wall. We have a neighbour who has a dog that barks all day which is really annoying, but we have brick walls that are like steel…..our house was built many years ago. Thanks for the info though. Stay safe from South Africa
Unfortunately, very low frequency sound like you hear from neighbors who use huge loud subwoofers is nearly impossible to dampen. I have had every room in my house vibrate when my obnoxious neighbor has one of his raucous parties.
I know no one cares, but would be nice to show the measurements as metric systems as well, all your tips are great, but sometimes it's a bit of a process to go through transfering it. Anyways, just saying, thanks for sharing knowledge!!!
I wish I had someone of your integrity where I live. I live in an apartment and hear every little thing that my neighbors. I’m sure they are not to happy about the noise my husband and I make either. But I now have some ideas to help both my neighbors and myself.
Green Glue is a scam. Standard products can have exactly the same or superior acoustic isolation properties for a fraction of the price. Green Glue is great at marketing.
Yeah helps but you are missing a other vital direction - above you. Your voice ecoes because you dont have acoustic control of the ceiling, or even the floor.
All your content is informative.I have gained so much knowledge from you and when you brought other trades on board it opened up so many avenues to gain from. Love your channel so glad I found you
Sonopan fiber boards in Canada are incredibly good value for soundproofing against both high & low frequencies, but far as I know, there's no easily found equivalent in the US these days. Another great product for low frequency is MLV (mass loaded vinyl), which can get pricy, but is really unmatched when used properly. If sound quality within a room is of concern, the absolute best budget option is to staple layers of old towels within a deep picture frame, which can then be covered on the outside with inexpensive speaker grille material for a professional look. Couple of these, well placed, will drastically increase both sound system clarity & microphone depth/quality/tone.
Hola! 🖐Really great video. I appreciate that you present options and do not give a definitive "fix". I will definitely put this information in the "tool chest" for when I build my shop. I would rather not disturb my neighbors. Take care and have a good one, Adios! 👊
I marvel at your meticulous shop. It looks like a tool showroom. Or maybe it’s a fake background, with fake prop-tools like those plastic display sweets in a bakery… 😉
I did find that interesting. I've had an interest in acoustics over years as it applies to sound reinforcement. But what you're dealing with, is exactly the opposite. Trying to deaden or eliminate spurious sound. Have you thought about actually providing data to show existence of your efforts?
Perfect timing with this video. I'll soon maybe (possible asbestos mitigation 1st...ugh) building out a shop space in the basement where I rent. Even though I live above the basement (other renters on floors above) looking sound proof as much as possible since I want to setup a cnc router.
This was very helpful! Other than the sound insulation, I didn't know about the other helpful hints. Great tips which you explained very well. God bless.
I have been studying this topic for two decades, and use it in my consulting, and this is the best no nonsense concise video on "soundproofing" I have seen on RUclips. The steps you have described are the best methods, proven again and again in labs and in the field, and this will now be my "go to" link to explain acoustic isolation to people. Okay, one nit pick: You didn't emphasize that ALL these things need to be done together: the decoupled drywall on walls and ceiling, the dual layers of drywall with Green Glue on walls and ceiling, AND the acoustic caulk to seal all wall and ceiling penetrations. Doing some without the rest results in a fish tank with a hole in it: It just won't hold water very well! ;)
Thank you, Natty! I greatly appreciate that! And I see your point on the fish tank analogy-I wouldn’t put my fish in that tank 😁 Best to button all the way up!
@@johnwhite2576 you are 100% correct. In a longer form video, I bet our host would have gone into detail about "good, better, best" in terms of decoupling. The STC rating of a normal wall is about 50. A staggered stud wall is about 60, which is a big improvement and for many situations is adequate, especially if you are concerned with the vocal range. But dual wall solution is over 70 so, for the reason you state, and is the superior solution when possible/desired. (STC=Sound Transmission Class, the formal method for comparing various wall, ceiling, floor, door, and window assemblies, is calculated by taking the Transmission Loss values tested at 16 standard frequencies over the range of 125 Hz to 4000 Hz and plotted on a graph -- and then compared with official graphs for the standard, which was developed in 1961. STC isn't a perfect system since sound below 125hz like the bass in your home theater is particularly difficult to trap.....so a high STC rating might mislead you into thinking you have a perfectly isolated room when you don't.) Note that your line of thinking extends to the ceiling and floor. If the decoupled walls touch the ceiling joists of the building, then sound is transferred to the rest of the building, anyway. (This is called a "flanking path.") So a well made "soundproof" room (really just a "isolated" or "noise isolated" room) will actually use a "second ceiling" that rests on the interior decoupled walls and doesn't physically connect to the rest of the building. (It is also possible to do "staggered ceiling joists" if you don't have space or money for a second ceiling. And the channels and clips mentioned in the video can also be used on a ceiling.) The floor, if it is on wood joists, is another huge flanking path. There are solutions to build a "floating floor" which is essentially a rubber mat below the floor that decouples it from the rest of the house, and other solutions. SERENA UNDERLAY is a popular product for this, but there are others with similar properties that cost less. And I should say, if you are going to pursue some of the "best" practices, be sure to pay attention to wall penetrations. The video does a great job of explaining many of them, but don't forget about electrical boxes etc. You can wrap these in special putty to reduce sound transmission. For example, Acoustical Putty Pads are UL classified for both non-metallic and metallic outlet boxes to prevent the spread of smoke, fire and toxic gases.....and greatly reduce the sound that passes through these surprisingly porous openings.
I'm redoing a bathroom and I was trying to think of ways on how to cut back on all the sound we hear on the other side of the wall in the living room. I'm definitely going to use some of these methods.
Cool. Thanks for the info. I’m about to redo a garage bedroom ceiling due to it not having a air gap between the the beams and the ceiling so it gets hot. Each section of beams has insulation but it’s sealed by the drywall so each section is like a little oven with nowhere for the heat to escape. I’m going to add cross beams to drop the ceiling about 6 inches but want to sound proof everything for ceiling speakers. It’s a nice little home theater with a 85” tv and 7.1 surround sound. Just need better insulation and some ceiling speakers. Cheers
You can try 1/4” acrylic plexiglass with an air gap between. It worked in my bedroom when I lived near a train station. You can cut it to size with a circular saw and it is easily removed.
You could also try replacing the glass with laminated glass. Similar to the green glue but 2 layers of glass glued together. Not cheap though, and the window frames may need modification.
Thanks, this is interesting and informative. Do you have any recommendations for a bedroom ceiling that is directly under another bedroom. House built in 1952 with hardwood floor and 1" X 6" underlayment. Objective would be to deaden all sounds as much as possible but voice is the main focus from both rooms. The ceiling below has many crossmember supports between the floor joists. Thanks for any ideas.
I’m an acoustic consultant and this simple video actually did a good job of explaining things. A common problem is that people underestimate the impact gaps have on sound insulation. A well insulated wall with a small area of poor or zero insulation will have a large impact. If it was an ok wall, percentage wise the same issue wouldn’t have as much of an impact. So the more effort you put into stopping the sound transfer, the more effort you should put into filling the air gaps whilst considering the decoupling you mentioned.
Contractors often are obsessed with extra screws and nails for strength but for sound insulation you really don’t want to do that.
Last tip, consider the whole space. It’s no good creating a perfectly insulated wall next to the noisy room if the sound energy is going to go over it and through your terrible ceiling.
Love your stuff (from the uk🇬🇧)
Would you say then that it is unnecessary to tape the bottom layer of drywall? Could you just use acoustic sealant on it before the top layer goes on?
@@BrianMDPhD acoustically if it’s just tape I would expect sealant to do a better job as tape is lightweight and thin unless you’re putting material (plaster, mud, filler) on the joints as well then I don’t think there would be much in it. If you’re offsetting the joints and filling the gap I wouldn’t expect it to make a huge difference either way as you’ve done the work with the offset and filling.
It would need to be tested to be sure so if a manufacturer says do it this way chances are they’ve already tested it and they’re saying that for a reason.
Construction wise though on which is best I can’t comment. Usually there’s a compromise where it’s good enough and you’re considering cost or speed instead.
I second this review. Also an acoustical consultant for 10 years and now work for a vibration isolation manufacturer. I appreciate when someone from the construction side of the industry spends the time to get it right. Seal those holes people! A visual metaphor: It doesn’t matter how great the walls of your bucket are, if you have holes in the bottom, it’s still going to leak!
It's basically the same principle with thermal insulation. Even if you put R50 insulation (imperial R, not metric) on 90% of a wall, putting R5 insulation over the remaining 10% will significantly drag down the overall R-value of the entire wall. Both heat and sound energy will find the path of least resistance.
I worked a job once for a rich crazy dude who insisted on 2 layers of 5/8” _over_ a layer of 3/4” ply and the void between studs stuffed with fiberglass insulation in every single wall of his massive condo, including interior walls, both sides. The place was as quiet as a crypt! He never explained why it was so important to him, but our speculations were hysterical!
That’s top of the line, monkey. I can only imagine the speculation 😆 Glad to hear it really worked, though!
Kinda scary 😦
Last name Epstein?
@@rytro926 omg!
Rich person Fight Club!
I'm a retired Federal Agent and when my office moved to a new location, I was given the task of specking out of different issues relative to law enforcement. One of them being sound proofing the new offices and the two interview rooms were included in new build-out.
The first thing I learned is just what you mentioned, gaps between wallboard. At the time it was counterintuitive but once it was explained to me and I did my research, I knew what had to happen in the design and buildout.
It was an interesting process and fortunately it all worked out.
Indoor shooting ranges have gone through many developments and evolutions and now, rather than having to shoot our weapons outside to qualify, Federal buildings that are built for law enforcement have indoor shooting ranges generally in the basement and with soundproofing technology we, or they my former colleagues, don't have to shoot outside either in the hot summer or the cold winters of New England. And unless you are told, you would not know weapons are being fired in the basement of Federal buildings.
Finally, I really enjoy and appreciate your videos. As a 70 Y/O DYI'r I am still building things and making a lot of sawdust in the process. My current project is finishing off the area, which is good size, under the stairs to my basement. I am running Romex for lighting, finishing the walls with leftover 1x6 T&G pine. I needed to hire a carpenter to build heavy duty pullout shelving. That's way over my head.
Again, thank you for your videos.
DP
**Bork, you're a Federal Agent. You represent the United States government. Never end a sentence with a preposition.**
Also, soundproofing is essentially insulation so also improving the thermal properties of the building - especially the air gaps between drywall
Thanks Ethan I appreciate the great video. Is there a way that we could kind of do a deeper dive on how to soundproof a room that already has drywall and paint and your typical structure already built?
Yes!
Me put mineral wool insulation in the interior walls of our house when we were renovating. Unbelievable how quiet the place is, and how little noise is transmitted from one room to the others. Great channel!
This demo was the first time I learned about the complexity and solutions to deaden sound.
Thanks Richard! I like videos like this to be sort of introductory looks that viewers can then build on by checking out other more specific vids 🙂
Nate, that was cool stuff. It is amazing to me how Newtonian Physics has such practical applications. Conservation of energy really does work in real life! Keep up the great videos.
I'm super sensitive to sound from my neighbors so this is incredibly useful information
What about ceilings?
Double drywall and resilient channel can really help, Lee! They also make a foam tape that goes over joists to ease squeaking. But I’ve heard that traversing vent work can still cause a lot of sound transfer 😬
Please be careful when using unprotected combustible sound proofing such as foam or moving blankets.
In 2003, the Station night club fire was started by the band's pyrotechnics causing the acoustic foam to catch fire, killing 100 and injuring 230. If you ever have sparks from grinding or welding in your shop, don't use it. Find a non combustible such as the fiberglass batting.
That’s hardly a fair comparison. The main reason that fire was so devastating was because of the single small egress of the facility, doors chained shut, and a lack of a fire suppression system. If all of those weren’t problems, even all the burning foam inside would have been no issue other than some smoke inhalation. It’s part of the reason it is said that common law is written in blood.
@@BrianMDPhD Are you a fireman? We made our training fires with one foam mattress and it would blacken an entire 2 story burn building to zero visibility with black smoke. The 3 of fatalities that I have responded to as a firefighter in my career was caused by smoke inhalation and it was from what we call light or almost no smoke, but the smoke killed them anyway. It is what is in the smoke that kills you as well as the lack of oxygen.
My neighbors would unintentionally burn my house down, by all the heat their thump thump music would produce in my walls.. though that sounds amazing.
Thanks for this info! If you put up fiberglass batting for sound, does it matter which side the paper faces?
Wow, I've been working building ceilings for a little more than a year and never knew that furring channels had this soundproofing property!
Yep, if they’re used with resilient clips, which really add to the sound damping effect!
🤗 THANKS ETHAN …
Interesting and informative …ESPECIALLY FOR AUDIOPHILES 😁👍😎💚💚💚
Been watching soundproofing videos for almost a decade now. This is probably the most concise and efficient explanation of the basics of soundproofing. There are other more detailed and complete explanations but as a primer this is well done.
Thank you, Henry! That’s what I was hoping to accomplish-a quick warm-up for other more detailed videos 😄
Agreed. Short but so many solutions and clear.
Bruh, you need some sound absorption in that space you make these videos. The reverb is horrible.
Very helpful tip that I am planning on using soon. My wall inside of a this room is very thin. That I can hear all kind of stuff that is going on outside. Have noisy neighbors that I don't care to hear all their ruckus. This way now I have idea how to fix the problem with this solution. Thanks Ethan. 🙂👍
The Honest Scientist Show...Never hurts to learn something new. Thanks! 👨🏿🔬⚛
Thanks, W! I do what I can 😆🎇
This is always a great show with great information, and excellent explanations.
There are now products that can be installed behind the drywall that are very good at sound-proofing. They are less expensive than using a 2nd sheet of drywall. A contractor named Jeff Thorman has videos on these products. He’s Canadian. Not sure if these products are available in the US.
Yes, very helpful. Thanks
1. The fact that this remedy works tells me it's the wood, not the air, that transmits the sound. Not mentioned is that surfaces reflect sound, so those work too.
Go down to your local lake on a quiet morning and admire the reflections. Later, when the wind gets up, the surface roughens up and the reflections are blown to pieces. Your wall surfaces are similar. In the 1950s, when I was a small child, our internal walls were covered in asbestos sheeting. One side was dimpled, like the surface of a golf ball. This served to disperse sounds, a little like modern acoustic tiles.
2. Dense, heavy materials such as steel, brass, china, even water, transmit sounds really well. Have you eve tested a cup for cracks by tapping it with a spoon, or heard the chime and resonance of a bell? I think that your extra panels are working because the surfaces aren't very flat, and because they disperse sounds by irregular reflections.
Unlike the hard materials I mentioned above, your sealants are and remain pliant. Not good sound conductors. And, of course, filling holes with it is good. So too would be "gluing" sheets together with it at the edges.
3. I think those materials work mostly by dispersing the soundwaves, similar to the dimpled surfaces on our asbestos.
Converting sound to heat comes as no surprise at all to me. When I was in high school, kids destined for trades left school after three years of high school and took up apprenticeships. The rest of us completed high school and largely qualified to study further at university. Typically, we got a firmer grip on maths beyond arithmetic, algebra and geometry, studied higher levels of science, geography, in my case French. For me, science was physics and chemistry, and a large part of physics is conversion between different kinds of energy.
Is the green caulk sandable?
Thanks for the informaiton 😁
I just build a work bench in my garage. Cinder block walk with my wife's office on the other side. I built walls on both sides and used R-1 foam board to decouple the studs from the conderblock wall. Then stuffed it with insulation. I worked really quite well.
Another rule of thumb, is if you stop air movement through the wall you'll stop the sound as well.
Good call, Mark! I think that’s where the sealant rally helps too 👍
@@TheHonestCarpenter my cheapest approach for a sound wall was 5/8 blue or green board both sides ,because it denser ,sealant on all the studs and any openings and rockwool and install it tight. Not sound proof but for a few extra bucks it stops a lot of noise. Great video. Many times the simplest things can still give a big impact.
Love this video! Great ideas for when I build my man cave! 😎
Educational, interesting & useful.
There are also acoustic coatings that help to deaden sound. Years ago tugboat crew complaints of engine noise in their cabins led to a search for a viable solution. The tug was already in operation, so there was insufficient room for insulation, steel decks and doors didn't help. The ultimate solution was sound insulating coatings.
At the time the work was done there was a limited number of choices. We used, as I recall, a rubberized coating that went on about 1/4" thick. The coating was quite effective. The only problem was it came in one color, black. It took several coats of paint to cover the black.
Bob
Bob
That’s a cool bit of information, Robert! I appreciate that 🙂
I like the toothbrush to clean the chain and use it on the paint part
HMMM, I wonder if I added padding then plywood to my ceiling and floor of my main area in my 1960's 1 bed apartment if it would drown out the upstairs and downstairs neighbors TV's? but I do not have that kind of $$. And I think I may just want a new address sometime soon.....
Dude. I love your videos but please call it "damping". "Dampening" is making something a little wet.
So one of the reasons the lower frequencies tend to penetrate through even a gap has to do with the wave length. Adding the multiple layers of air gap and dense materials causes additional defusing and scattering of the noise as it try’s to transfer from one medium to another causing it to weaken in a much shorter distance. Different materials have different cut off frequencies so noise emanating at a frequency lower than the cut off will pass through, but changing the medium of energy transfer causes sound to travel in less of a straight line.
I like your positivity in your knowledge. I wish you can do something with my house noice transparent.😅Would you?
A couple of things I hate that marketing of green glue turning sound into heat that is just how thermodynamics works, what they should say is it does a better job at doing it then most. 2. they say to use 2 tube per sheet of dry wall for a STS of 14 I think but also remember sound is a LOG and just half a tube per sheet will still net you close to 7 STS, so for 25% of the cost of materials you can get about 50% effectiveness.
Very important. Neighborhood noise has shot up off the charts in recent years. Incredibly helpful video.
I really need to replace the siding on our house. When I do, I'm considering some sort of noise dampening behind the stucco I wanna use for siding. Right now we have that crappy pressboard siding, which we all know is the worst type there is (especially in Alabama). I'm considering plywood over the entire outside, then foam, then more plywood, and finally the stucco. Does that sound like a good plan? With the price of plywood right now I think it'll be a while before I get it done.
Definitely helpful. I've heard most of these concepts and methods discussed in past, but certainly not so efficiently condensed into 5 min ; )
As always, you and other YTers who make this content are providing an incredible service to the world. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. I know I appreciate all the things I've learned.
(And potential mistakes avoided!)
Keep it up!
Actually, quick question: when adding the second (staggered) sheet of drywall WITH the green glue bead in btwn, are you trying to not put to much pressure on it as you set it in place? As in, are you trying to not flatten the interior bead? Have you ever tried this? Does it make it difficult to get adjacent sheets to edge align or keep wall flat across side to side? Also, is that second sheet still getting drywall screws or does the green glue act as adhesive? (Just seems like you'd need some pretty long drywall screws to go through both sheets and space btwn and still sink into studs)
Sry lol, that was a pretty involved question : /
Thank you lovey, i wonder if that product would work on a brick wall. We have a neighbour who has a dog that barks all day which is really annoying, but we have brick walls that are like steel…..our house was built many years ago. Thanks for the info though. Stay safe from South Africa
Unfortunately, very low frequency sound like you hear from neighbors who use huge loud subwoofers is nearly impossible to dampen. I have had every room in my house vibrate when my obnoxious neighbor has one of his raucous parties.
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I know no one cares, but would be nice to show the measurements as metric systems as well, all your tips are great, but sometimes it's a bit of a process to go through transfering it.
Anyways, just saying, thanks for sharing knowledge!!!
Well that was fascinating and relevant - you are great at breaking concepts down and building them back up into something useful - pun intended.
Would love a video on soundproofing bedrooms in a home that's already built
As usual- your videos are interesting and I learn new things. Thank You!!
Very helpful. Lots of good info. Thanks.
I wish I had someone of your integrity where I live. I live in an apartment and hear every little thing that my neighbors. I’m sure they are not to happy about the noise my husband and I make either. But I now have some ideas to help both my neighbors and myself.
Green Glue is a scam. Standard products can have exactly the same or superior acoustic isolation properties for a fraction of the price.
Green Glue is great at marketing.
Yeah helps but you are missing a other vital direction - above you. Your voice ecoes because you dont have acoustic control of the ceiling, or even the floor.
All your content is informative.I have gained so much knowledge from you and when you brought other trades on board it opened up so many avenues to gain from. Love your channel so glad I found you
thank you so much.
making my home studio go alot less stressful ;)
FYI a hat channel is completely different than a resilient channel.
Very informative and helpful.
Your shop sure is clean and organized🤣🤣🤣😁😆
It would require an insane amount of sealant. If you were to install that between drywall layers.
Outstanding presentation and commentary!
5:19 yes i did find this soundproofing discussion helpful
Very interesting ! I didn’t know that!
How about mass loaded vinyl?
Rock Wool Safe & Sound for the win
great video and very helping
3 factors or strategies - YES simple and understandable, but not dumbed down
Thanks, Bill! 😄
I turn heat into sound when I cut a fart 💨
Sooo helpful... thank you
Sonopan fiber boards in Canada are incredibly good value for soundproofing against both high & low frequencies, but far as I know, there's no easily found equivalent in the US these days.
Another great product for low frequency is MLV (mass loaded vinyl), which can get pricy, but is really unmatched when used properly.
If sound quality within a room is of concern, the absolute best budget option is to staple layers of old towels within a deep picture frame, which can then be covered on the outside with inexpensive speaker grille material for a professional look. Couple of these, well placed, will drastically increase both sound system clarity & microphone depth/quality/tone.
Hola! 🖐Really great video. I appreciate that you present options and do not give a definitive "fix". I will definitely put this information in the "tool chest" for when I build my shop. I would rather not disturb my neighbors. Take care and have a good one, Adios! 👊
I've used the Green Glue to great effect for a number of clients, it works really well.
I marvel at your meticulous shop. It looks like a tool showroom. Or maybe it’s a fake background, with fake prop-tools like those plastic display sweets in a bakery… 😉
It’s half-shop, half-studio, so not totally useful, but not totally useless either 😅
@@TheHonestCarpenter What a relief. I knew I’d never be able to achieve that standard of cleanliness and order…
very interesting!
I did find that interesting. I've had an interest in acoustics over years as it applies to sound reinforcement. But what you're dealing with, is exactly the opposite. Trying to deaden or eliminate spurious sound. Have you thought about actually providing data to show existence of your efforts?
Perfect timing with this video. I'll soon maybe (possible asbestos mitigation 1st...ugh) building out a shop space in the basement where I rent. Even though I live above the basement (other renters on floors above) looking sound proof as much as possible since I want to setup a cnc router.
This was very helpful! Other than the sound insulation, I didn't know about the other helpful hints.
Great tips which you explained very well. God bless.
Great explanation
I have been studying this topic for two decades, and use it in my consulting, and this is the best no nonsense concise video on "soundproofing" I have seen on RUclips. The steps you have described are the best methods, proven again and again in labs and in the field, and this will now be my "go to" link to explain acoustic isolation to people.
Okay, one nit pick: You didn't emphasize that ALL these things need to be done together: the decoupled drywall on walls and ceiling, the dual layers of drywall with Green Glue on walls and ceiling, AND the acoustic caulk to seal all wall and ceiling penetrations.
Doing some without the rest results in a fish tank with a hole in it: It just won't hold water very well! ;)
Thank you, Natty! I greatly appreciate that! And I see your point on the fish tank analogy-I wouldn’t put my fish in that tank 😁 Best to button all the way up!
natty-one thing i dont get-staggering does not address coupling through the base and ceiling plates /
@@johnwhite2576 you are 100% correct. In a longer form video, I bet our host would have gone into detail about "good, better, best" in terms of decoupling. The STC rating of a normal wall is about 50. A staggered stud wall is about 60, which is a big improvement and for many situations is adequate, especially if you are concerned with the vocal range. But dual wall solution is over 70 so, for the reason you state, and is the superior solution when possible/desired.
(STC=Sound Transmission Class, the formal method for comparing various wall, ceiling, floor, door, and window assemblies, is calculated by taking the Transmission Loss values tested at 16 standard frequencies over the range of 125 Hz to 4000 Hz and plotted on a graph -- and then compared with official graphs for the standard, which was developed in 1961. STC isn't a perfect system since sound below 125hz like the bass in your home theater is particularly difficult to trap.....so a high STC rating might mislead you into thinking you have a perfectly isolated room when you don't.)
Note that your line of thinking extends to the ceiling and floor. If the decoupled walls touch the ceiling joists of the building, then sound is transferred to the rest of the building, anyway. (This is called a "flanking path.") So a well made "soundproof" room (really just a "isolated" or "noise isolated" room) will actually use a "second ceiling" that rests on the interior decoupled walls and doesn't physically connect to the rest of the building. (It is also possible to do "staggered ceiling joists" if you don't have space or money for a second ceiling. And the channels and clips mentioned in the video can also be used on a ceiling.)
The floor, if it is on wood joists, is another huge flanking path. There are solutions to build a "floating floor" which is essentially a rubber mat below the floor that decouples it from the rest of the house, and other solutions. SERENA UNDERLAY is a popular product for this, but there are others with similar properties that cost less.
And I should say, if you are going to pursue some of the "best" practices, be sure to pay attention to wall penetrations. The video does a great job of explaining many of them, but don't forget about electrical boxes etc. You can wrap these in special putty to reduce sound transmission. For example, Acoustical Putty Pads are UL classified for both non-metallic and metallic outlet boxes to prevent the spread of smoke, fire and toxic gases.....and greatly reduce the sound that passes through these surprisingly porous openings.
This was awesome
Great tips!
Fascinating!
Excellent
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I'm redoing a bathroom and I was trying to think of ways on how to cut back on all the sound we hear on the other side of the wall in the living room. I'm definitely going to use some of these methods.
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Cool. Thanks for the info. I’m about to redo a garage bedroom ceiling due to it not having a air gap between the the beams and the ceiling so it gets hot.
Each section of beams has insulation but it’s sealed by the drywall so each section is like a little oven with nowhere for the heat to escape. I’m going to add cross beams to drop the ceiling about 6 inches but want to sound proof everything for ceiling speakers. It’s a nice little home theater with a 85” tv and 7.1 surround sound. Just need better insulation and some ceiling speakers. Cheers
Hi
Thanks for your help 👍✌️
You’re welcome, David!
I really like the way you arrange your tools.. and thanks for all the info’s about carpentry, it helps a lot.
metry, bruh!
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Very informative. I had only heard of using insulation in interior walls, such as for bathrooms or bedrooms near living spaces.
9m miRi 6thby in g60hi
Loved this topic, very helpful!
Any recommendations for shared walls in old row homes?
What’s backer rod?
It’s a flexible foam filler that goes into cracks so you can caulk them more easily!
Crazy informative thanks
I live in an apartment and outside noise comes easily in through the cheap single pane windows. Is there anyway to block some of that out?
You can try 1/4” acrylic plexiglass with an air gap between. It worked in my bedroom when I lived near a train station. You can cut it to size with a circular saw and it is easily removed.
@@Noah-qt3rq thanks, I will give that a try.
You could also try replacing the glass with laminated glass. Similar to the green glue but 2 layers of glass glued together. Not cheap though, and the window frames may need modification.
Thanks, this is interesting and informative. Do you have any recommendations for a bedroom ceiling that is directly under another bedroom. House built in 1952 with hardwood floor and 1" X 6" underlayment. Objective would be to deaden all sounds as much as possible but voice is the main focus from both rooms. The ceiling below has many crossmember supports between the floor joists. Thanks for any ideas.
Redo the lower bedroom ceiling with everything show in this video. Rock wool insulation, double drywall hung on the metal spacers
Great information, thanks for thr Pro tips..
Very interesting and informative. I've thought about sound reduction for a couple of rooms in my home. Thanks for doing videos like this.
GREAT MINDS … Think I like JIM… you’re just 53 seconds quicker than me
Amazing insight Ethan. Could these self expanding foams that are used for filling up larger gaps help with sound proofing?
I think they can’t hurt, Arash. But I’m not sure of their actual sound insulation ability 🤔